Iraqi Kurdish authorities on Sunday filed a complaint to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) against Baghdad’s air embargo, saying it was blocking aid from getting to displaced people.
An embargo on international flights to and from Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region went into effect on Friday after Erbil rejected a call by Baghdad to surrender control of its international airports to the federal Iraqi government.
It comes amid growing tensions between Erbil and Baghdad after Iraqi Kurds voted in favour of separation from Iraq in last week's highly controversial referendum. Baghdad has repeatedly said the referendum was illegal.
“The Kurdish region in Iraq has filed a complaint to the ICAO against Baghdad’s air embargo [which] obstructs the transportation of humanitarian aid to internally-displaced people in the region,” said Hoshyar Zebari, a former Iraqi deputy prime minister and current member of the Kurdish region's referendum council.
Iraq’s northern region has been considered a safe haven for civilians fleeing the government's battle against ISIL extremists.
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"The airports are not only for travel and tourism but also to fulfil humanitarian needs of displaced civilians," Mr Zebari added, referring to the airports in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah.
The Kurdish parliament held a session on Saturday in which it rejected Baghdad's embargo, describing it as a move "against the people of the Kurdistan Region" and a “distraction from Iraq’s fight against ISIL”.
Mawlud Bawa Murad, the Kurdistan Regional Government's transport minister, said the ban would "negatively impact all international businesses in the Kurdistan region, in addition to all civilians”.
"We will do our best to find a viable alternative, or succeed to bring back international flights," Mr Murad said.
Despite the tensions between Erbil and Baghdad, Iraqi prime minister Haider Al Abadi on Sunday vowed to defend the country's Kurds from any attack, either internal or external.
"To our people in the Kurdistan region: we defend our Kurdish citizens as we defend all Iraqis and will not allow any attack on them," he said.
"We will not allow any harm to you and we will share our loaf of bread together."
His comments came after Iran said on Saturday it would hold a joint military exercise with Iraq on their shared border in response to the "illegitimate referendum".
Also on Sunday, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to allegations made a day before by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Israel’s Mossad spy agency played a role in the outcome of the Kurdish vote.
Mr Netanyahu denied the claims, saying: “Israel played no part in the Kurdish referendum, aside from the natural, deep and long-standing sympathy the Jewish people have for the Kurdish people and their aspirations.”
Hizbollah meanwhile said on Saturday that the Kurdish vote marked a first step towards partition of the Middle East, warning that this would lead to "internal wars" and must be opposed.
The head of the Iran-backed group, Hassan Nasrallah, said events in northern Iraq were a threat to the whole region — not just Iraq and neighbouring states with Kurdish populations.
"It will open the door to partition, partition, partition," Mr Nasrallah said, adding that "partition means taking the region to internal wars whose end and time frame is known only to God".
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Company%20Profile
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New Zealand squad
Tim Southee (capt), Trent Boult (games 4 and 5), Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson (games 1-3), Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 1
Kane (50')
Newcastle United 0
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
